


Suck it Up

by ThePanicRoom



Category: Helltaker (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brutality, Canon-Typical Violence, Heavy Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Lucifer is a hardass sometimes, Lucifer loves her demons, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, This hurt me to write, Training, Vent Work, aka Judgement gets the shit beaten out of her, i am lazy and full of sadness, i thought this was gonna have comfort in it but it does not, mild panic attacks, no beta we die like men, violence to hide fear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28587183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePanicRoom/pseuds/ThePanicRoom
Summary: Lucifer oversees Judgement's training with Justice.She wishes she could have sent anyone else in her place.title and work based on the song "Suck It Up" by Maretu
Kudos: 13





	Suck it Up

**Author's Note:**

> so, taking into consideration these are Biblical Demons, the literal storyline of the bible is relevant. i really think Lucifer would struggle with a lot of survivors guilt, and probably even PTSD, especially post-game. this is set pre-game, so somewhere before the Helltaker comes to hell, probably mid-way between "the fall" and the game, just for the sake that in this Justice is still HP, and is training a fairly young Judgement to take her place.

Poised against the walls of the spacious training grounds, Lucifer slowly swirled her glass of wine. The slight directional pressure added with each swirl of the liquid was soothing to the CEO, whose eyes were trained sharply on the two figures in the middle of the field. The taller of the two figures lunged. The -much- shorter figure had no time to react, her muscles tensing as she tried to will her legs to run, but her movements came short. Justice barreled into the younger demon again. Judgement went flying again. As she hit the ground, a strangled sound of pain burst from the - let's be honest here, - child's lips.

Just like the last five or so tackles, Lucifer's hand tensed over the glass, her already firm grip putting enough pressure on the thin crystal that a small crack had started to form around the edge. Lucifer waited a few moments, watching Justice revert to an unguarded stance, standing with folded arms and watching the lithe body on the floor. Her own red eyes flitted to the still body, her heart rate slowly starting to pound in her ears as seconds ticked by with out any sign of life from the girl. The sound of shattering glass, and cool liquid on her gloves startled Lucifer back to the present. Nose wrinkling in disgust, the CEO shook off her hand, and started the trek towards the young demon, heart racing more still as she neared. Justice perked at the sound of her feet, seeming to watch from blind eyes as the Queen of Hell approached the prone demon.

"C'mon, Luci! Don't coddle her!" Justice whined slightly, cocking a hip and huffing. Her shades had dropped down her nose, her sightless eyes trained on them.

Lucifer ignored the High Prosecutor, kneeling down beside Judgement's curled body, a hesitant hand reaching forward to gently nudge the girl.

"Judgement...?" The taller woman whispered, her red eyes scanning the darker demon's body for serious wound. She can't be dead, right? She can't be.

When there was no response, Lucifer's breathing started to pick up, the faces of past followers flashed in the forefront of her mind, their sickly, mangled bodies haunt her dreams. She was one of the few to survive the fall, and the only one still standing to this day. There had been so much death as of recent... so much pain, and blood, and pain, and Lucifer could feel her grip tightening on Judgement's lapels but she couldn't do anything to stop it. Her gaze glazed over with agonized tears. With the fall, one face shines bright against the backdrop of pain. One face that used to bring love, and hope, and safety that now only brings hatred and pain.

"Gabriel..." Crimson eyes slammed shut with the utterance, white-hot tears threatening to over-spill and strong hands hinting abuse. Lucifer heaved another large gasp of air, and yanked Judgement up by her hands grip, forcing the girl on her feet, and her own eyes open to survey the damage done. Crimson orbs meet wide, strikingly pale eyes. Lucifer all but drops the poor girl in her haste to push away, and forces her face quickly from shocked to neutral in mere heartbeats.

"Miss Lucifer-" Judgement starts, her voice soft and trembling. Waves of sorrow and guilt flood to Lucifer's gut. She's just a kid.

"Hey, you didn't take off with the kid, didya?" Justice called from a few feet away, annoyance clearly rising in her tone.

"You brought her here for me to train. Don't tell me you've gone soft now!" The current high prosecutor barked a harsh laugh, narrowing blind eyes towards the two figures across the field.

"Patience, Justice." Lucifer barked back, her own hackles raised, and her hands flexing for a fight. Fear is best hidden under anger, she had learned.

Turning back to the small demon in front of her, Lucifer reached out, brushing off the front of the kids shirt.

"What did you need, Judgement?" Her voice was kept as monotonous and neutral as she could, given the circumstance. Her heart squeezed when Judgement's eyes flashed confused hurt. Up until this point, Miss Lucifer had always treated Judgement with kindness. What had changed, she wondered? When Judgement's response seemed to take one moment too long, the CEO scrunched her nose in distaste.

"Are you mute now? Speak up." The taller demon spat out, forcing all her fear and sympathy to hate and anger. It helped to keep the memories away too. Sharp eyes narrowed as Judgement recoiled, immediately wrapping her own arms tightly around her small frame, wincing with pain as her bruised ribs were strained against the pressure of her self-hug.

"U-uhm... N-nevermin-"

"Are you fucking stupid too? Spit it out, or I'll beat you myself." Lucifer leaned in close, her teeth grit, and posture threatening. Her own hands shook violently with fear, and anger, and the absolute strain of keeping them at her sides instead of tearing at her own skin, or launching Justice through a wall, because how _dare she_ hurt an innocent _child_ like this-

"M-Miss Lucifer!" Judgement yelped, "I-I'm sorry...!" She cried, shrinking back further, tears spilling down her cheeks in waves, terror spilling off of her in waves.

"I'm sorry, so please don't be a-angry with me! I'll do be-better, I promise, just please don't hate me...!" The young demon sniveled, tears and snot sliding down her face, arms unknowing whether to cling tighter to herself, or reach for the woman beside her. Lucifer stared blankly for a moment, hand reaching out slowly for the youngling, softly resting on one arm, hand encasing the young demons wrist. Pale eyes searched for Red. The grip tightened. Judgement winced, giving a soft pull away from Lucifer, only to find she couldn't escape the CEO's rapidly increasing pressure on her wrist.

Breath picking up, Judgement yanked harder against her arm, whining in pain with each second of increased pressure.

"M-Miss Lucifer, you're hurting me-!" _SLAM_. The dirt and dust that flew up around the small body took a few seconds to settle. Soft sobs of pain escaped Judgment as she now lay curled on the floor once more, Lucifer's hand no longer gripping the little wrist. Huh. Who knew just how satisfying it could be to throw a child through the floor?

Kneeling down again, Lucifer grabbed onto the child that was practically cowering from her, and drug her up into a sitting position to face eye-to-eye.

"Did that hurt?" Her voice was smooth. Calm. Dead. Judgement flinched away from the tone, eyes watering with more tears, and body trembling in pure fear.

"Y-yes..." She murmured softly, choking on a cry as Lucifer's hand suddenly grabbed at Judgement's abdomen. Pity and a sick feeling of accomplishment washed over the CEO at the feeling of three broken ribs. The gasps and cries of _"it hurts! please stop, it hurts!"_ went ignored. Crimson eyes scanned the small, grey body in her arms, reveling in the cuts and bruises blooming across her skin. Lucifer felt simultaneously pleased with herself, and sick to her stomach.

"Suck it up." Lucifer spat, pulling the girl to her feet once again, and dragging her to Justice's feet, pushing her to the floor once again.

"We'll pick up on training first thing tomorrow morning. I have a headache, and you're not allowed within five hundred feet of one-another without supervision, am I understood?" Lucifer's voice dropped further in pitch, numbing anger sweeping over her entire frame. She didn't really care for their answer, nor did she actually hear it, as she turned to walk away, calling a gruff "goodnight" over her shoulder. The cold, desolate numbness spread further and further with every step Lucifer took.

 _They were right about one thing, I suppose._ Her strides grew longer, her head forced higher as she escaped through the halls to her chambers.

 _I'm a goddamned monster._


End file.
